Age of Decadence

[Starwars]

It should also be noted that, if I remember correctly (I think this was info I read on the Iron Tower forums), the "special ability" of a weapon will increase every 25 levels. So the knockdown effect on hammer kicks in more at 125, 150, 175 etc. Worth thinking about.

[mkreku]

And these last five pages sum up just about everything I hate about turn based combat: "roll-playing". You spend more time calculating stuff you shouldn't even know about than playing the game.

[Slowtrain]

And these last five pages sum up just about everything I hate about turn based combat: "roll-playing". You spend more time calculating stuff you shouldn't even know about than playing the game.

 

 

*shrugs*

 

 

Its a different sort of combat from more freeform rt stuff. I enjoy both, but I like the fact they are different.

 

TB combat does tend to be more about the numbers, but I don't find anything inherently less enjoyable about that.

 

Tb is more about learning systems; RT more about developing facility with the controls. I like both personally.

[Tigranes]

And these last five pages sum up just about everything I hate about turn based combat: "roll-playing". You spend more time calculating stuff you shouldn't even know about than playing the game.

 

It's fun. Besides, I picked up all this stuff while playing the game, actually, not sitting down with paper.

[Hell Kitty]

I'm not a number cruncher, I prefer role-playing to roll-playing and my eyes glaze over when people talk about "builds", but I still like turn-based combat.

[Slowtrain]

I'm not a number cruncher, I prefer role-playing to roll-playing and my eyes glaze over when people talk about "builds", but I still like turn-based combat.

 

 

I would tend to agree that the more intuitive a TB system is and the less about the numbers, the easier it is to play.

 

However, I do enjoy building different sorts of characters and taking them through the gameworld and seeing how they fare and what options become open to them and not to others.

[bhlaab]

Why a square grid? What happened to hexagons? ****ing wankers.

 

It takes diagonals into account so you're actually getting 8 degrees of movement instead of 6 so quit whining

[Slowtrain]

It takes diagonals into account

 

 

When I noticed that I thought it was pretty cool.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Generally a fairly balanced build between offense/defense is the best, as has been said. For a dodge build, it helps to put a little more into dodge than into the weapon, until close to the end, when you can pretty much dump everything into dodge. Also don't forget you can increase you skills during combat, when you kill someone you immediately get skill points for them, and also you get bonus points for reaching ranks after you talk to the arena master. I always save before I allocate my points, so that if I have trouble in one area or the other during the battle I go back to the save and re-allocate. I've had a pretty easy time with dodge/hammer, except the Ordu, but they're also easy using the right strategy.

I'm having a lot of trouble with the 6 Imperial Guards at the end

in the new (R2) build. Yesterday I almost beat them, but I screwed up with the spearman. I think I might have figured out how to do it, I'll try again tonight. Edit: It's also crucial to remember to loot the equipment off the fallen bodies.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Wrath of Dagon

[Purkake]

I finally beat the demo with a sword and board dude and boy was it hard. Having every guy wielding an axe shatter your shield gets really annoying, really fast. I'd have to agree that it is way too random at the moment, the best strategy is to get max health and decent dex and hope for the best.

 

Now I'm walking through the challenges with a crossbow build and annihilating everything in my way. What do the scoped crossbows add?

[Starwars]

Not sure, haven't tried any ranged stuff yet. They're tweaking the shield breaking stuff.

[Wrath of Dagon]

AOD wallpapers: http://www.irontowerstudio.com/media.htm

[Hurlshort]

I am getting a little excited about this project. I hope the story turns out to be as engaging as the combat. Is there any idea on a release date window, like are they aiming for this year?

[Wrath of Dagon]

Yes, should be quite a unique experience in the story department. I think this year is quite reasonable, but with their history of overshooting targets I don't think they'll ever comment on a release date again. The main thing now is to encorporate all the combat changes which resulted from the demo feedback. Once all the back and forth over the combat rules is done, they just have the balancing and the polishing left, the content is all done already. But all of them working in spare time and not willing to release something unfinished makes it hard to predict the release date. To give you an example, they thought they might release the demo last spring, but had to rush to do it by Christmas.

Edited January 9, 2010 by Wrath of Dagon

[Slowtrain]

I agree with Hurlie and am actually more looking forward to the non-combat aspects of the game than the combat part. ALthough the combat is certainly solid.

 

And if no one else is going to say it, I will: The combat demo is better than the combat in Arcanum, which reflects pretty poorly on Troika.

 

Anyway, I am hoping AoD will have a sort of Arcanum feel to the worldbuilding and role playing, without the tech of course.

[Radek Smektala]

The combat demo is better than the combat in Arcanum, which reflects pretty poorly on Troika.

 

To be fair, the combat in any game ever created is better than the combat in Arcanum. It's still amazing, though.

[Hurlshort]

The combat demo is better than the combat in Arcanum, which reflects pretty poorly on Troika.

 

To be fair, the combat in any game ever created is better than the combat in Arcanum. It's still amazing, though.

 

And to be even more fair, Age of Decadence has probably been in development longer than Arcanum.

[Tigranes]

In man-hours, no.

[Radek Smektala]

In man-hours, no.

 

Per man or in overall? Let's calculate!

[Slowtrain]

I would expect a group of industry professionals with previous experience and backed by a major publisher to produce better crpg combat than a non-professional tream working in their spare time while they keep going to their day jobs to pay the bills.

 

IMO, it shows a lot about both developers.

[Purkake]

I would expect a group of industry professionals with previous experience and backed by a major publisher to produce better crpg combat than a non-professional tream working in their spare time while they keep going to their day jobs to pay the bills.

 

IMO, it shows a lot about both developers.

Wait, are still talking about Troika and Sierra here?

[Slowtrain]

I would expect a group of industry professionals with previous experience and backed by a major publisher to produce better crpg combat than a non-professional tream working in their spare time while they keep going to their day jobs to pay the bills.

 

IMO, it shows a lot about both developers.

Wait, are still talking about Troika and Sierra here?

 

 

[Purkake]

 

Any word on the full demo?

[Hurlshort]

I just don't think Troika spent too much time developing the combat engine, whereas you can see AoD has taken on that as a major part of the game and a real labor of love.

 

I just played through my first round of the combat demo. First thing that struck me was the graphics were fairly good, very functional and the camera was easy enough to use. I was happy that I could adjust my resolution, that really elevated the look of the game.

 

I played a two handed axe guy. I probably could have been smarter on how I spent my money. I got past the three raiders, but the next guy took me apart a couple times and I stopped there.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing the non-combat skills in use. It looks like there are a of lot of options there.

[Slowtrain]

I played a two handed axe guy. I probably could have been smarter on how I spent my money. I got past the three raiders, but the next guy took me apart a couple times and I stopped there.

 

 

That was about how far I got my first time. It takes some replays to get a feel for the system. Eventually I made it all the way through. Except for the champion whom I still haven't beaten.